The present invention relates generally to hose reels, and more particularly to hose reel frames for supporting spools and hose reel guide arms for constraining hose movement.
Hose reels are commonly used to consolidate fluid-carrying hoses. Wound hoses take up less space, and are less likely to become entangled with surroundings. Industrial hose reels are often biased with torsion springs or counterweights to automatically wind up in the absence of an extending force on the hose attached to the reels.
Hose reels commonly comprise three primary components: a spool, a frame, and a guide arm. Hose reel spools typically comprise a hub with a cylindrical wall and axially opposite side walls. The side walls and cylindrical wall together define an annular retaining area in which wound hose is stored. An anchored end of a hose is usually passed through or attached to a hose mount on the cylindrical wall. This hose mount is commonly angled to prevent the hose from bending excessively when it coils about the spool. Many hose reels also include a frame or stand which supports and anchors the spool. Such frames may attach to one or both sides of the spool. Hose frames must be able to support the full weight of a spool loaded with hose, as well as any strains associated with winding and unwinding the hose. Some hose reels also include guide arms to direct the spooling of the hose, thereby ensuring that the hose coils properly onto the spool. Like frames, guide arms may attach to one or both sides of the hose reel. Most guide arms are rotatably attached, so as to allow the hose to be spooled and unspooled at a range of angles.
In the past, some hose reels have included ratcheting latch assemblies to prevent hose reels from retracting or re-spooling the hose while in use. These latch assemblies typically include a pawl on one of either the hose reel frame or the guide arm, and a toothed ratchet element affixed to one side of the spool. Previous hose reels have included mounts for a pawl on either the frame or the guide arm, but not both, typically due to the increased cost and manufacturing time required. The pawl engages the ratchet element to limit rotation of the spool, preventing it from spooling. With such latch assemblies, a latched hose is retracted by first unspooling the hose slightly to disengage the ratcheting element from the pawl. This can prove difficult if a pawl engages while the hose is fully unspooled. In such a case, it may not be possible to unlatch and re-spool the hose without disassembling the hose reel. It is possible to ensure that this situation never arises by manufacturing the ratchet element on the radially opposite side of the spool from the hose mount, and installing the pawl on the guide arm. When the hose is fully unspooled, the hose mount will align radially with the guide arm. As a result, a pawl mounted on the guide arm can never engage a ratchet element opposite the hose mount while the hose is fully extended. This solution is not available where the hose reel does not include a guide arm. In applications where the guide arm is ommitted to save expense, weight, or space, the latch must be mounted elsewhere, or not at all.
Hose reels are preferably strong, compact, and easily assembled. In the past, hose reel frames have sometimes been constructed with axially outward-extending support flanges, and hose reel spools have sometimes been constructed with axially outward-angled dished side walls. Such constructions provide additional strength, but are bulkier than a flat spool, and therefore necessitate a larger frame with a wider footprint. Ease of assembly is important both during and after manufacture; in particular, it is desirable that hose reels be easily adaptable to different working conditions and applications.